Discussion (45)

And HAVE to get in front of my Velomobile, even if that means cutting me up.
It usually means I pass them while they wait on red then stop just in front of them waiting for green. I don’t actually block them – the move helps me as I get green just as I get there more often than not, so I don’t need to stop. 55+ years of cycling means I have a ‘no stopping’ instinct.
Even though I won’t be trying to find a place to ‘trackstand’ or put a foot down.
I hate the ones who push past then cut in right to the edge of the road stopping me from filtering by on the inside. I have to overtake them. Some bus drivers get the idea and slow down to follow me. Those are possibly the ones who pushed by and were passed before and they ‘get it’. When in front of buses, if I get a reasonable lead I can stay in front of them all the way unless a hill slows me down…

In England, a lot of traffic light crossings have a refuge for cyclists,
A green line 2-3 feet from the side will then turn to follow the white ‘stop’ line and continue round providing a box for cyclists to wait in. Many motorists see this as an extension of their stopping place but most honour it. Thus there is just enough room for my Mango to squeeze by to wait in the box. IF no motorist parks in the refuge that is!

It used to be that traffic lights were timed or synced to the flow of traffic MOVING AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT — and for all I know, it may still be that way in many areas. But so long as motorists insist on driving at least 5 – 10 mph over the posted limit, they are going to be ‘out of sync’ with the lights and will find themselves stopping at each and every one of them.

Here in San Francisco there are a few streets (Folsom and Valencia are two I know of) where the signals are timed for 13mph specifically so that bicyclists never need to stop. I always laugh riding down those streets, because I pass the same cars stopped at every single light… only to be passed by them seconds later, as they speed off to wait in line at the next light.

There are even signs about the 13mph light timing, but they’re small and off to the side so the motorists never see them.

Hi Stefan 0166 – You think it is bad up high on an upright bike? Try how bad it is 80Cm/30£ or so from the floor!
If a big diesel vehicle is nearby Velonauts can actually taste the fumes and we get greasy smudges from the oily particulate coughed out by these noisesome things. 🙁

Hi Tencon, I just have a old Radius “Peer Gynt” which of course is not that low.
And, regulations over here force real big Diesel to leave the Air even better than they sucked in.
Plus, for big Diesel this works, not like the small ones from Volkswagen and so on.
So; Yes I think riding really low would force me even more to fight for my place in front instead behind the cars row.

I got to engage with a member of the pedestrian public! I was riding to work in the morning (just before dawn and it is winter in Oz where I am) and there were two young ‘ladies’ walking toward me both dressed up as Eskimos. One of them, seeing me in my shorts and shirt only, screams out at me “Put on a jumper you freak!”. 🙂

Cyclists are pioneers in a land of toxic fume spewing multi ton steel beasts. They are controlled by anonymous incredibly unhealthy angry beings with MAGA hats pulled down low on the brow. I got slowly buzzed by a “trailblazer LOL” redneck this morning and thought…hmmm a good outlet would be publishing a comic about these destructive creatures. I also had another thought….we cyclists will outlive these creatures by decades. Too bad they reproduce. Well atleast I have made two more future velo-warriors.

We’ve enjoyed another 15 month run of bike comics and are glad you helped make our Kickstarter for Volume 6 such a success.

Alas, we must take a break from this rigorous schedule and return to other pressing matters (like families, jobs, and long, inspirational bike rides). This will be the last full week we publish for awhile. We’ll still keep the website live (where all strips can be read) and appreciate financial support for hosting fees. Thus, we’re not cancelling our Patreon account, but completely understand if you choose to stop pledging. We’ll continue honoring pledge commitments: we are still mailing water bottles and passing along names to Walz Caps.